DOLE: Working from home is a viable solution to protect labor force from COVID-19

As the total number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country reached five on Friday, Senator Risa Hontiveros has urged private sectors to let their employees work from home.

In a Stand for Truth report by MJ Geronimo, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) saw this as an effective way to ensure that the labor force was still productive, in spite of the virus outbreak.

"This is really one of the measures that they can use so that the workforce is still productive. They will produce as long as it is, of course, work that can be done through means of technology," said DOLE Bureau of Working Conditions Director Teresita Cucueco.

Although COVID-19 transmissions cannot be entirely prevented through this set-up, they can be lessened.

"Ma co-contain mo ang transmission. That's very important. Ang mahirap lang dito, what if their place of work would not have the proper internet, then that becomes a little bit difficult," said Cucueco.

She also said that both employees and employers stood to benefit from the arrangement as long as there was a proper agreement.

Clareen Cepeda, a business process outsourcing (BPO) employee, started working from home since the COVID-19 outbreaks.

Once an office worker, she still had the same workload as before  because she was exposed to less people who may be infected with the China virus, her fears were diminished.

"Siyempre, hindi naman mawawala na afraid ka pa rin pero na-lessen lang siya sa it's safer kasi sa bahay talaga," Clareen said.

Jeff Dela Cruz, an employee, said he would like a similar arrangement, but his line of work did not allow it.

"Directly kasi, kausap namin 'yung mga clients eh. So dahil doon, hindi kami pwede magwork from home," he said.

"Ang hirap na rin na laging nasa labas given nga na meron tayong outbreak ngayon na tinatawag," he added.

Instead, he takes several precautionary measures to protect himself from the virus. During his daily commutes, he always made it a point to wear face masks.

The President of Viviamo Inc. Darlyn Ty-Nilo said not all companies would be able to implement Hontiveros' suggestion.

"With the company, siyempre you have to be able to sometimes, hindi naman lahat kaya mo mabibilang o mappredict lahat ng output na kailangan mo. That's why you need the people from time to time," she said.

Ty-Nilo shared that the company has been encouraging its employees to regularly wash their hands and apply hand sanitizer.

A number of employees from other COVID-19 infected countries such as China, Singapore and Japan, have already started working from home. — Angelica Y. Yang/BAP, GMA News